THE Cartridge Razor Thread

[Joncr]

DE shaving for the last year. Decided to revisit carts after a great/terrible shaving experience with a fusion pro glide flex ball system. Will be trying out a Sensor Excel, a Mach 3 and giving the Flexball Proglide another go around.
So far biggest issues
going slow like a DE and keeping 'no pressure' against the skin.
without using expensive aftermarket handles does anyone else have this issue?

 

[TexFlood]

DE shaving for the last year. Decided to revisit carts after a great/terrible shaving experience with a fusion pro glide flex ball system. Will be trying out a Sensor Excel, a Mach 3 and giving the Flexball Proglide another go around.
So far biggest issues
going slow like a DE and keeping 'no pressure' against the skin.
without using expensive aftermarket handles does anyone else have this issue?

I used a Schick Hydro 5 this morning and got a great shave. I think the key is light pressure. If you have a heavy handle, the weight supplies some pressure all by itself. So with the Schick I have to just be careful to keep the pressure as light as I can while still doing some cutting. The amount of pressure depends somewhat on what cartridge and what shaving cream I'm using. As far as going slow, that is always a challenge for me but the memory of cuts and burns I've gotten by not doing so helps motivate me! I've found using proper face prep and a good shaving cream that I can get a good shave with nearly anything.

 

[Joncr]

Thanks TexFlood, I guess I am so used to a heavy handle, heavy head DE that I just have to concentrate on slow short strokes and barely touching my skin with the cart. I am using the same creams I liked with a DE. Just a matter of relearning, getting used to a much lighter razor, or getting one those heavy after market handles. Don't want to go there till I decide which cart(s) work best for me. Maybe will get to the Hydro 5 after I finish seeing how the Gillettes work. Have you used the Proglide, Mach 3, or Sensor, how do they compare to the Hydro 5 ?

 

[TexFlood]

Thanks TexFlood, I guess I am so used to a heavy handle, heavy head DE that I just have to concentrate on slow short strokes and barely touching my skin with the cart. I am using the same creams I liked with a DE. Just a matter of relearning, getting used to a much lighter razor, or getting one those heavy after market handles. Don't want to go there till I decide which cart(s) work best for me. Maybe will get to the Hydro 5 after I finish seeing how the Gillettes work. Have you used the Proglide, Mach 3, or Sensor, how do they compare to the Hydro 5 ?

I used to use the sensor and then the mach3 right before I started to try a double edge. I thought they both were fine. I've also used a fusion and it was OK but didn't seem to justify the high cost of the cartridges to me. I haven't yet tried the fusion pro glide flex ball.

I actually bought the Hydro 5 for my son after reading some good things about it but it didn't really seem to work for him so it fell back to me, just trying to get some use out of it My son is using a Mach3 now and liking it.

I did manage to upgrade his experience by switching him from Gillette canned gel to Kiss my Face 4-in-1 mint shaving cream and adding Barbasol Pacific Rush aftershave and Nivea Sensitive balm.

I'm finding prep and good products make shaving with anything better. This morning I first put on pre-shave oil. Now I am pretty convinced this doesn't help so much with the shave but I like the scent and it helps keep my skin from drying out. Next normally I put on Noxzema and let it sit for a few minutes and optionally use a hot towel. No hot towel this morning. If there's time I find the hot towel is worth it but some days time is just tight. I heat water in an electric tea kettle to get it really hot, take 3 barbers towels together folded in half, lay that on the kitchen counter and poor enough hot water on it to soak it pretty well but try to leave the ends a bit dry so I can pick it up without burning myself. Wring it out a bit if needed. Usually I have to wait, maybe wave it a couple times or it's too hot for my face. Then put on over the Noxzema for 3 minutes or so. Afterwards you can wipe off the excess Noxzema but don't have to, you can just later right over it. I couldn't find my Noxzema (actually equate Noxzema clone) cause my daughter had gone through the bathroom under-sink cabinet like a little tornado. So I used a product new to me that was recommended by Cash_Stronomer here at B&B, Dollar Tree gree tea facial wash and it seemed to work fine. Then I put on the KMF cream do a with the grain pass and two additional passes across and slightly against the grain. If needed I finish off with against the grain on any problem areas. I wet my face and relather before each pass. Doesn't take much KMF to lather up. You can brush the KMF but often, like this morning, I just hand apply it. Then a good warm rinse to get the excess cream off my face, witch hazel, and aftershave. This morning the AS was stetson cooling moisture but I often switch that up. If needed I use the Nivea sensitive balm but didn't need it today.

Anyway, probably more than you wanted to know, hah. Later...

 

[Joncr]

Just finished my 14th shave with my first Fusion Proglide cartridge in a manual handle. Focused on short, slow strokes, no pressure. 2 pass, XTG, ATG. Cool water face wash, cool water during shave. Nivea Sensitive Cream. Very little tugging or dragging. No sting with usual Aqua Velva AS, no irritation, close BBS all over. Not sure how many shaves left in cart but I just got a better shave than 95 % of my DE shaves with less time and less effort. Going to push this to see how many I can get. Like TexFlood said prep is important, I would add the DE no pressure slow short stroke technique, and the wet shaving products successful with a DE make a great shave with a 5 blade cart. Of course YMMV.

 

[AlgebraicMirror]

Single edge razors are razors that have a blade edge on one side of the head as opposed to a double edge that has a blade edge on both sides of the head

A razor with multiple single edge blades is still single edge.

I've not seen a multi blade razor that has edges on more than one edge/side of the head.

The Fusion Proglide carts are kind of like that. They have five on the bottom but one on the other side for precision trimming work. Though the blade on the top side is not actually part of any of the other blades, so really you have six SE blades going in different directions rather than any true DE blades. So I concur, prior to the creation of this modern shaving systems forum the SE forum was the best fit for this thread, much to the chagrin of the SE members. I bet they are glad to have their forum back!

For the record, I own a bump fighter razor, Personna Trac II blades, Mach3 turbo, Mach3 sensative power, Fusion Proglide Power (two of these actually), and a Fusion Proglide Power with flexball. And my wife has a couple of Venus razors, one for each leg. So lots of carts laying around this house, though I am trying to get the hang of my DE.

 

[Mick]

The Fusion Proglide carts are kind of like that. They have five on the bottom but one on the other side for precision trimming work. Though the blade on the top side is not actually part of any of the other blades, so really you have six SE blades going in different directions rather than any true DE blades. So I concur, prior to the creation of this modern shaving systems forum the SE forum was the best fit for this thread, much to the chagrin of the SE members. I bet they are glad to have their forum back!

For the record, I own a bump fighter razor, Personna Trac II blades, Mach3 turbo, Mach3 sensative power, Fusion Proglide Power (two of these actually), and a Fusion Proglide Power with flexball. And my wife has a couple of Venus razors, one for each leg. So lots of carts laying around this house, though I am trying to get the hang of my DE.

One of these days I will use one of the cart razors I own.

For now, I have been enjoying my DE, SE, injector, and straight razors a little too much to try one of them.

 

[Razorburn92]

Just used my manual Fusion with shave 2 on the neck area and got a BBS wtg and atg. Amazing results this time.

 

[AlgebraicMirror]

May I ask your opinion of the pivot plus blades then and why you feel you got poor results? Just curious.

I find them rough and irritating, but I've never used real gillette atra blades. The real Gillette's cost so much more that it's not worth it to me to give up my fusion proglide to try them. I only tried the personna because if they were good it would have been cheap enough to be worth it.

 

[Razorburn92]

I find them rough and irritating, but I've never used real gillette atra blades. The real Gillette's cost so much more that it's not worth it to me to give up my fusion proglide to try them. I only tried the personna because if they were good it would have been cheap enough to be worth it.

I found the personnas performed poorly with the Atra, but much better with the Trac II razor.

 

[Joncr]

26th shave with first proglide cart, BBS-DFS shave. I tried shorter quicker strokes a few days ago to see if I could reduce the growing drag the cart was producing. It worked, I got a Fusion Flexball Power handle and that really reduced the drag for shave 26. Got the carts for about 41.00 for 16 from Amazon, that is $ 2.56 per cart, so far the carts are running 10 cents a shave, still a lot more than if you buy a hundred Derby or Feather blades and get 5-10 shaves per blade. But this cart is still usable, and even if 26 shaves is the average I will be spending less than $37.00 per year for carts.

 

[lancelot]

26th shave with first proglide cart, BBS-DFS shave. I tried shorter quicker strokes a few days ago to see if I could reduce the growing drag the cart was producing. It worked, I got a Fusion Flexball Power handle and that really reduced the drag for shave 26. Got the carts for about 41.00 for 16 from Amazon, that is $ 2.56 per cart, so far the carts are running 10 cents a shave, still a lot more than if you buy a hundred Derby or Feather blades and get 5-10 shaves per blade. But this cart is still usable, and even if 26 shaves is the average I will be spending less than $37.00 per year for carts.

I well remember paying $35 for 100 Feather DE blades. I could get 2, sometimes 3, shaves per blade. I think your economy is spot-on, and I bet your shaves are more pleasant than mine were.

Happy New Year,

Ron I

 

[Joncr]

Ron 1
I am enjoying the shaves, nowhere ready to give up DE, have too many razors and blades, but the Fusion Proglide Flexball Power looks to have a major, maybe THE major, spot in my rotation. I dry, clean, strop the cart after each shave, and maybe just lucky my beard/skin doesn't wear out cart blades but whatever it is, the carts are not prohibitivly expensive at this number of shaves for each. And the shaves are quick, easy, no blood, and some of the best BBS I ever got. Anyone else have a similar experience ?

 

[nelamvr6]

Ron 1
I am enjoying the shaves, nowhere ready to give up DE, have too many razors and blades, but the Fusion Proglide Flexball Power looks to have a major, maybe THE major, spot in my rotation. I dry, clean, strop the cart after each shave, and maybe just lucky my beard/skin doesn't wear out cart blades but whatever it is, the carts are not prohibitivly expensive at this number of shaves for each. And the shaves are quick, easy, no blood, and some of the best BBS I ever got. Anyone else have a similar experience ?

That's pretty much my experience. I don't have to power ProGlide, but I use the manual one exclusively.

 

[AndreasTV]

Ron 1
... Anyone else have a similar experience ?

Here - i can get up to 60 shaves out of a "ProGlide" cartridge; and I have not a "children fuzz" as beard .
My DE - a "Parat" from my father - sees not a lot of work these days.

Greetings

Andreas

 

[Joncr]

Just finished shave 28 with my first Proglide Manual cart, BBS, a little redness, too much tugging, pulling to push any further with this cart.
Just picked up 8 of these carts from Ebay for $22.49 including shipping, $2.81 each, just a bit more than Amazon had them. Still cost per shave was $0.10 for the cart. Will be trying Mach 3 Turbo and Sensor Excel alternating with the Flexball, and tracking longevity and shave quality with each.

 

[clyde72]

I just started back wet shaving about 4 weeks ago. I had been using a Braun Series 7 for many years. I had a Mach 3 handle left from many years ago so I ordered some Sensitive Blades. I also ordered a Harry's Truman Starter Kit. I'm going to start with the Mach 3 and then see if the Harry's is better, worse, or the same.

I wash my face with Lab Series Lab Series Multi-Action Face Wash in the shower.
I used a "hot" towel to moisten my beard and apply shave cream.
3 pass shave
Cold water rinse, apply Gentleman Jon Alum Block, cold water rinse, splash Thayers Unscented Alcohol Free Unscented Witch Hazel Toner, let dry, apply ASB currently Lab Series Pro LS All-In-One Face Treatment.
My pre-shave and post shave have been the same after I added an Alum Block and Witch Hazel to the post shave after the 3rd shave.

I started with a Mach 3 and Edge Shave Gel. I had forgotten how much closer blades were than an electric. I would say this was a CCS almost DFS
The 2nd week I switched to Barbasol Original Shaving Cream. This produced a much closer shave than the Edge gel. DFS+ not quite BBS.
The 3rd week I used the Harry's Shaving Cream that came with the Harry's Truman starter kit. Almost as good as the Barbasol, definitely better than the Edge. DFS+
The 4th week I started Brush and Cream. I'm using a Parker Safety Razor 100% Silvertip Badger Bristle Shaving Brush,
Captain's Choice Original Lather Bowl, and Proraso Sandalwood Shaving Cream. I must say that the 1st shave with this set up was the best shave yet. I would say DFS++ really close to a BBS. Playing with my lathering techniques had not improved my 1st attempt.

I'm going to continue with this setup until I get consistent lather and shave results.
I haven't decided if I'm going to try the Harry's razor or a different cream next.

 

[Steelerfan]

When I was old enough to shave, my first razor was the Gillette Atra. I used cartridge razors up until this June when I switched to a DE razor. The main reason was the increasing cost of the carts. One of my favorite razors was the Schick Tracer. I was happy to see that Walmart brought back an exclusive Wilkinson Sword Tech 3, which was the Tracer with three blades. When Walmart stopped carrying the WS Tech 3, I never found a replacement that i liked or cared to pay for. That is why I switched to a DE razor, dirt cheap blades.

 

[Joncr]

Have been alternating the Mach3, Mach3 Turbo and Sensor Excel the past week or so. In order form least irritating and least close to slightly irritating and noticiable closer. it is Excel, Mach3, Turbo. The Sensor is perfect if I don't care about any stubble later in the day or my skin feels a bit abused from weather or yesterday's shave while the two Mach3 versions are a middle compromise between the Sensor's performance and the Proglide Power Flexball. Have not shaved with any long enough to see how long they last.

 

[clyde72]

In the 7th week of my journey back into wet shaving I have been using the Harry's Truman, with Proraso Sandalwood Shaving Cream and my Parker Silvertip Badger Brush. I've changed nothing else but switching from the Mach3 to the Harry's. 3 pass shave with touch up. The fist shave seemed to be a little closer, but got much more burn from the Alum than was normal from the Mach3. I would say DFS+. The 2nd shave produced a couple of weepers and more alum burn. On the 3rd shave I went to daily, instead of every other day and 2 pass with touch up. Less irritation but just a little better that an CCS. My beard almost needs a daily shave with the Harry's. Where as the Mach3 was a 2 day shave. I think the Mach3 gave me better shaves overall. That being said I think the Harry's did give a smoother 1st pass (WTG) than the Mach3, but the irritation was worse and the weepers almost a sure thing on the 2nd or 3rd pass. Also took much more touching up around the lower lip area than the Mach3. (FYI: I'm a member of B.O.M.B.) I'm going back to the Mach3 to confirm.